Studies have shown a strong relationship between the health of the body and the health of the brain. Exercise revs up complex processes inside the brain that can deter depression, help you stay calm and keep your mind sharp.

Exercise Boosts Mental Fitness

The brain has approximately 86 billion neurons designed to give orders to the rest of the body through chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. Studies show that deficiencies of two of these neurotransmitters (glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA), can lead to mood disorders such as depression. However, moderate exercise can increase the amounts of the two neurotransmitters, contributing to increased mental fitness.

Exercise Decreases Stress

When you’re stressed, your brain secretes the “fight or flight” hormone, cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels can create a constant and unnecessary feeling of stress. But, if you exercise, you expose your body to “controlled stress,” which helps regulate your brain’s stress response, keeping you more calm.

Exercise Slows the Brain’s Aging Process

Your brain ages just like the rest of your body, but exercise can help the brain handle natural, age-related deterioration without taking a toll on your memory. Older adults who exercise have larger brain volumes than those who don’t. Plus, the brain’s hippocampus (which is responsible for memory and learning) is larger in people who are active. Exercising won’t make you smarter, per se, but it will help you remember things better as you age. Read Full Article

Parents and caregivers can set a great example for the whole family by creating a healthy environment at home. Any combination of the following five steps can make a real difference in your children’s lives and help them build healthy habits for life.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are great sources of many vitamins and minerals and help prevent chronic disease. Eat them fresh, frozen or canned, and keep them within easy reach. Try eating fruits and vegetables of different colors to make sure you and your family enjoy a wide range of nutrients.

Plan to Eat Healthy

Preparing healthy meals doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive; it just takes planning. Get your children involved in the planning, shopping and cooking. Make sure your family eats a healthy breakfast every day; it can help prevent overeating and snacking later. Teach your children about healthy portion sizes so they learn to serve themselves a healthy amount of food.

Make Physical Activity Part of Your Routine

Activities should be fun and something the whole family can do together. Set specific goals that are easy for your family to achieve. Start by scheduling a time for physical activity—but be flexible if a conflict comes up.

Reduce Screen Time

Health experts say that computer and television time at home should be limited to one to two hours or less per day. Limit your family’s screen time every day, and set a good example by following the limit yourself. Don’t put a computer or TV in your child’s bedroom, and keep the TV off during family meals. More screen time means less time interacting with your family. Provide alternative hobbies and activities to prevent watching TV from becoming a habit. Read full Article

In addition to the federal requirements under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), many states, and even many localities and municipalities, have enacted employee leave laws. Due to the various leave requirements, employers may have a hard time understanding how different leaves coordinate with each other and how wage replacement benefits fit into the equation.

The purpose of this article is to clarify some of the differences between the federal FMLA, the ADA and short-term disability (STD). Employers must keep in mind that state and/or local leave laws may also need to be considered.

STD is not a form of job-protected leave with rights to continued health coverage and job reinstatement.  Read Full Article

In light of the growing prescription drug and heroin epidemic, the Obama administration announced the creation of the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force.

This task force will build upon the parity provisions included in the ACA, and will work to identify and promote best practices for compliance as well as identify areas for further improvement.

The task force will be made up of directors from seven government agencies. They will conduct outreach to patients, health care providers, employers and insurers to make behavioral health a priority and improve the prevention and treatment of mental health and substance abuse disorders.  Read Full Article